This image is a photograph of the earliest stages of Navaho weaving, as practiced in the early 20th Century. The women are shearing sheep, using manual sheep shears as seen in the hands of the woman on the right. It is slow, difficult work with live animals.
There is no description on the back of this card or the black and white ones that follow. They are photographs that have been cropped, printed on paper and stamped on the back with postcard markings for tourist use.
The caption states: Shearing sheep obtaining wool to be used in Navajo Indian rug weaving, Gallup, New Mexico.
The card likely dates from the 1940s.
Tag: 1940s
Warehouse, Mission San Juan Capistrano, California
This is another view of the archways that line the courtyard and other long buildings on the grounds. The arches here also show the original brick construction, visible through the absent or thinning stucco covering. The building these arches form the arcade for is the storage areas for the mission.
The description states:
Old Warehouse – North Corridor
This building restored in 1928 and now used as Parish School and Convent
OLD MISSION
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CALIFORNIA
Founded November 1, 1776
–It is likely that this building is no longer used for the purposes noted in order to prevent any further damage and to preserve more of the historical character of the grounds. This postcard was used, and bears a postmark of 1948.
Serra’s Church Altar, San Juan Capistrano, California
This image is of another church nearby the ruined Great Stone Church of Mission San Juan Capistrano. This was built during the time of the founder, Junipero Serra, and is the only remaining structure known where Serra celebrated Mass.
The description states:
Serra Church 1776
Mission Altar carved from Cherry Wood
in Barcelona, Spain
OLD MISSION
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CALIFORNIA
Founded November 1, 1776
–This is a handcolored version of an original black and white photo. Additional images of this chapel can be seen here. The card dates to the 1940’s.
The Haven Motel, St. George, Utah
A brief departure from the environs of Salt Lake City with this view of a typical 1940s era motel, this one located on the now extinct US Route 91 as it passed west and north of the town of St. George.
The description states:
The Haven Motel
3 blocks W. of center of town on U.S. 91
St. George, Utah
Phone 576
New De Luxe, air conditioned units. Electrically heated. Accommodations for 1 to 6 people.
–This structure is unlikely to have survived to the present day. Such buildings were normally demolished as the newer Interstate Highway roads replaced the U.S. highways and diverted tourist trade away in the 1970s. This card dates from the 1940s.
Sea Gull Monument, Salt Lake City, Utah
This monument tells a very unusual story, and is located in the Temple Square in sight of the Mormon Temple, visible in the right background.
The description states:
SEA GULL MONUMENT
The Sea Gull Monument, situated in the famous Temple Square, was erected in commemoration of the miraculous delivery of the Mormon pioneers from starvation when a plague of crickets threatened destruction of their crops in 1848 and 1849. Flocks of sea gulls appeared and preyed upon the destroyers until the pests vanished and the people were saved.
This card likely dates from the 1940s.
Eagle Gate, Salt Lake City, Utah
This long view of the road leading to the State Capitol in Salt Lake City emphasizes the so-called Eagle Gate. This picture appears to be a colorized photo rather than an artist’s rendering.
The description states:
EAGLE GATE
Eagle Gate, as it is called, is immediately east of the Bee Hive House; it was originally the gateway leading into the President Young’s private grounds. The eagle was carved from wood.
–While this card has a marking of the 1947 Centennial, the image shows only cars from the 1930s and earlier, and not a single car from the 1940s. It is likely this image was made before the Second World War, and the card published in the late 1940s with the older image.
Brigham Young, Mormon Leader
This card shows a carefully edited picture of the Mormon leader Brigham Young, lightly colorized after being photographed.
The description states:
BRIGHAM YOUNG
Brigham Young was born June 1st, 1801 in Whittingham, Windsor County, Vermont; ordained an Apostle February 14, 1835; sustained as President of the Church December 27, 1847; and died in Salt Lake City, August 29, 1877.
–On the back is a city seal and the legend “1847 1947 UTAH CENTENNIAL, which clearly places this card in the 1940s.
Utah Capitol Dome, Salt Lake City, Utah
This evocative view of the State Capitol looks through an archway at the Memory Park.
The description states:
This is an unusual view showing the Dome of the State Capitol and a portion of Memory Grove. Within this arbor is located a Bronze Tablet giving the names of these men of the state who made the supreme sacrifice in the First World War.
–The memorial only mentions World War One because the card was made near the end of World War Two, before the memorial could be expanded. This card likely dates to the 1940s, like the others in this series.
Tabernacle Choir and Organ, Salt Lake City, UT
We now move inside the Tabernacle itself and reveal the massive organ and choir population as presented in this era.
The description states:
The “Mormon” Tabernacle Choir is a volunteer, unpaid organization with a membership of 325. It is famous for rite long, continuous serve in the “Mormon” Church, its many years of national weekly radio broadcasts and its frequent concert tours.
The Great Organ of nations renown was originally built in 1867 by Utah artisans. It has been thoroughly rebuilt and enlarged front time to time until it stand today the peer of, if not superior to, any pipe organ in existence.
–A comparison of this image with another posted previously on this site here shows that the arrangement of the singers has changed considerably in the intervening years. This earlier image shows the women completely separated (likely sopranos from altos) by the male contingent. In the other image, from the 1960s, the women and men are on opposite sides of the risers in single groups. It is not known if this was done to improve the quality of the performance, or simply to present a specific image for that card producer. However, this is an artist’s rendition, while the other is an actual photograph.
This card dates from the 1940s.
Mormon Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, UT
This is an illustration of the world famous Tabernacle located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City.
The description states:
This mammoth auditorium is 150 feet by 250 feet and 80 feet high. It is unique and severe in design and employs a self-supported, vaulted type of roof which accounts in part for the unusual acoustics of the building. A nation-wide radio program, featured the great Tabernacle organ and choir, originates in this auditorium.
–The radio program expanded into a TV show as well, and with the arrival of the internet, the choir is broadcast online as well. This card dates from the 1940s.